St. John’s Food Assessment:
2020 to 2022

Food First NL led the St. John’s Food Assessment between 2020 and early 2022. Food assessments are a tool used to raise awareness about food system challenges and opportunities. They are also a chance to gather and share data with the community, which can be used to advocate for policy and program changes. Food assessments work with community members to use local knowledge and expertise to identify challenges and create solutions.

The St. John’s Food Assessment is one of several community-led food assessments coordinated by Food First NL. Our Community-Led Food Assessment page includes information about our process, core principles, and other projects in N.L.

Key Phases

Phase One: Background and Planning (2020)

  • Developed process proposals and brought together a working group to guide the project

  • Created guidelines on using online engagement and evaluation to include a diverse range of voices and strengths from the community

  • Conducted a ‘big picture’ review of information on the food system in St. John’s, including policies, programs, and relevant health, environmental, and economic indicators. This is also known as an “environmental scan.”

  • Created the first cohort of St. John’s Food Animators to build community capacity and local networks

Phase Two: “Eat the City” Public Engagement (2021–2022)

  • Asked community members to identify the strengths and gaps in programs, services, and policies. This process included:

    • In-person and virtual focus groups and informational webinars that reached more than 130 individuals

    • The St. John’s Household Food Survey, which received 802 responses across all city wards. You can read the highlights in the survey summary document (PDF)

  • Analyzed the engagement data and wrote the summary report, “Eat the City: What We Learned About Food Systems in St. John’s”

  • Identified action areas and set key priorities with our partners and community leaders, based on community input

    • This process was supported by the St. John’s Food Animators. The Animators were recruited from each of the five wards. They received training to facilitate engagement and food-based programming.

Eat the City: Summary Report

For more details, check out our summary report, Eat the City: What We Learned About Food Systems in St. John’s. It includes details about the St. John’s Food Assessment process and findings, including results about food production, distribution, access, consumption, and waste. 

Phase Three: Action Plan (Ongoing)

Outcomes

The St. John’s Food Assessment inspired local food action and built connections between community members, organizations, and the municipality. Outcomes from the Assessment include:

  • New and stronger connections within the community that will spark change for years to come. 

  • Increased awareness and engagement with food security issues in St. John’s.

  • More collaboration and coordination to advance food security in St. John’s.

  • Food security considerations are now part of the City of St. John’s strategies, programs, and policies.

Our Partners

The St. John’s Food Assessment was developed and implemented in partnership with the St. John’s Food Policy Council. Organizers, staff, and community volunteers guided our process. We’re thankful for their time, expertise, and dedication.

Community Support

Support from community organizations allowed us to reach hundreds of people for focus groups. These organizations include:

Community Garden Alliance, Community Sector Council Go Getters, Jimmy Pratt Foundation, Eastern Health Wellness Group, and theGreenRock.ca

We also want to thank the 1000+ people who completed the household food survey, and especially those who shared their experiences of food insecurity.

Project Funders

We received financial support from:

Chevron Canada, City of St. John’s, Eastern Health, Government of NL’s Social Enterprise Action Plan and Community Healthy Living Fund, Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security, Public Health Agency of Canada's Innovation Strategy, Terra Nova Development (which is operated by Suncor and Memorial University), and WeavEast.